


is this the little boy

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: OQPromptParty 2017 [7]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 21:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 5,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11929725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: 15 moments in the Mills-Hood family over the span of 5 years.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 27 August 2017  
> Word Count: 5925  
> Written for: [](http://oqpromptparty.tumblr.com)[](http://oqpromptparty.tumblr.com)**oqpromptparty** 2017 - Day 7  
>  Prompts: 11, 20, 32, 36, 81, 86, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 94, 95, 100, 103, 107, 108, 113, 118, 134, 139, 140, 142, 143, 145, 146, 164, 165, 166, 170, 186, 195  
> Summary: 15 moments in the Mills-Hood family over the span of 5 years.  
> Spoilers: Canon divergent AU taking place between seasons 3-7 and beyond, given that the Underworld SL never happens, so Robin never dies. But anything else in canon for these characters up to the Underworld SL is fair game.  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Honestly? This was a labor of love and a semi-crack!fest all rolled up into one. I wanted to see just how many prompts for the Mills-Hood family I could fit into one story. Turns out it's 32 of them. This is intended as little snapshots in the lives of this family, and they're offered here in no particular order, other than how the ideas came to me, based on the list of prompts I played with. The title of this fic is from "Sunrise, Sunset," and was meant to be kind of a loose way of tying everything together via Regina remembering moments in Roland's childhood once he's older.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Not at all, so please give me concrit if I missed something that you notice…
> 
>  **Note:** Chapter 1 prompts used:  
>  11\. Regina mothering Roland (it’d be awesome if Robin witnessed at least a part of the scene)
> 
> 81\. Roland loses his first tooth

"Gina!"

At his pained cry, Regina drops her knife and races into the backyard to find Roland curled up on the ground. The first thing that she sees is the bright splash of blood down the front of shirt and chin. Dropping to her knees, she reaches out to touch his hair.

"I'm here, Roland," she murmurs, hands moving with practiced ease over his little body to seek the source of his pain. "What happened?"

Roland coughs, blood spraying everywhere, then cries even louder. Regina pulls him into her lap, rubbing his back. The nearness helps to calm him almost instantly.

"Hurts, Gina," he whimpers, lisping slightly.

Unbeknownst to them, Robin comes into the backyard on his way back from a hunting expedition with the Merry Men. He stops as he sees them, tensing at the sound of his son crying, but before he can speak, Regina's gentle tone wafts over to him.

"Shh, it's okay, handsome. We'll put your tooth under your pillow tonight for the Tooth Fairy."

"We can?"

"And she will take your tooth and leave you shiny quarters in return. Just think of how proud Papa will be when you show him and tell him how brave you are."

"Me brave?"

She presses a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You are very brave, Roland. Papa will be so very proud."

"Papa _is_ very proud," Robin says, announcing his presence as he comes to join them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 87\. Roland’s first tantrum with Regina

"No!"

He crosses his arms over his chest, stamping his food imperiously.

"Roland…"

As if on cue, his lower lip juts out, brows bunched inward. "But Papa--"

"Papa's not here," she replies slowly. "And you promised Papa you'd be a big boy for me."

"I _am_ a big boy." Another stomp for emphasis.

"No, you're not. Big boys take their baths to go to bed."

"No bath! I clean!"

Regina bites back a smile at his adorable pout, then points to his arms. "There is more dirt on you than in my garden."

"No!" he yells, face going red as the word drags out, rising in pitch to a shriek. When Regina reaches for him, he races out of the bathroom to run up and down the upper landing, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Roland, stop!" Regina yells as he gets dangerously near the top of the stairs. The sound of her voice startles him and he sways, precariously close to falling. Without thought, she shoots out her hand, halting the angle of his tilting body with magic as she races to his side.

"G-Gina?" he whimpers, eyes wide with fear.

Regina envelops him in a tight hug, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I've got you, Roland."

Another loud wail echoes in her ears as Roland clings to her, little body shaking in fear. She just rubs his back, rocking gently as she feels the fight drain out of him.

"S-Sorry, Gina," he whispers, voice muffled in the curve of her neck.

"I know, handsome." She presses a kiss to the top of his head.

"No more bad boy. I take baff."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:   
> 91\. Robin asks Henry to be his best man
> 
> 92\. Regina asks Roland to be his flower boy

The two of them sit side by side on the dock, poles in hand, feet dangling in the water, and cold cans of Coke in the cooler between them. The fish don't seem to be biting but neither of them minds. Henry is surprised that Roland isn't with them; the boy is some kind of trout whisperer. He's sure of it.

"So, Robin," he says amiably, watching the man from the corner of his eye.

Robin smiles and looks out at the water's surface for a moment before meeting his gaze. "You're curious why we're here."

"I am. Especially since Roland's got better luck fishing than me. I mean, even Leroy does better than me."

Robin smiles, a soft look in his eyes that Henry associates most with his mother. The love between the two adults is a goal he aspires to have one day.

"You're Regina's only male relative," Robin says slowly. "If we were back in the Enchanted Forest…" He trails off then, and Henry watches his eyes go distant for a bit. "You're the man of the house and I'd like to have your permission to ask your mother to marry me. I know you see how important she's become to me, as you have, too, lad."

"I know," Henry replies with a grin. "And you're pretty important to Mom. Me, too, to be honest. You're good for her, for both of us."

"So…" Robin licks his lips nervously. "Do I have your permission to ask her?"

Henry leans over to squeeze Robin's arm. "Not just my permission, but also my blessing. The two of you deserve your happiness together."

Robin's face lights up with relief and joy. "You have no idea what that means to me." He takes a deep breath. "I have one more request of you. Provided your mother accepts my proposal, would you do me the honor of being my best man?"

"Seriously?" The shock is plain on his face. "Robin, that honor would be mine!" He leans over the cooler to hug Robin.

"Now if your mother chooses you to escort her down the aisle, that will take precedence, of course, but--"

"No, I get it, and I'm good either way."

~~*~~

Regina and Roland sit at the island, coloring books and crayons spread out in front of them. She leans over to kiss the top of his head as he studies the sparkling gemstone on her left hand.

"It's so pretty, Gina."

"I know it is. Your papa chose very well, didn't he?"

Nodding, Roland looks up at her curiously. "Gina?"

"Yes, handsome?"

"Does this mean you my new mama?"

Regina swallows past the lump suddenly forming in her throat. "Do you want me to be your mama?"

"Uh-huh!" Roland nods his head enthusiastically, dimples prominently displayed in his cheeks, and he hugs her tightly. "You the bestest mama I know."

"Oh, Roland," she whispers, tears in her eyes. "But what about your real mama?"

"Papa says she's in heaven and watches over us. She sent you to us so we wouldn't be lonely and scared."

Regina kisses the top of his head as she hugs him again. "You are a very special boy, Roland, and I am so very lucky to have you in my life." She grins and rubs the tips of their noses together. "How would you like to do a very special favor for me?"

"Oh yes!"

"You don't even know what it is yet, silly," she says with a laugh.

"Will it make you smile?" When Regina nods, Roland mimics her. "Then I do it for you. I like your smiles."

"And you won't mind if you're a boy dropping flower petals in front of me when I walk down the aisle to marry your papa?"

"Boys can like flowers!" he replies indignantly, making her laugh and pull him into a tight hug.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 88\. Roland can’t sleep so he sneaks in Henry’s bedroom. When Regina and Robin wake up, they find a fort has been built in Henry’s room and the two boys sleeping soundly.
> 
> 95\. Roland is scared of something (darkness, or whatever) and he is ashamed. Henry tells him that until this day he is still scared of (insert something)
> 
> 145\. Henry protects Roland from bullies.
> 
> 195\. Sunday morning breakfast

Henry wakes up at the soft thud just inside his bedroom. He blinks sleepily, then squints to make out the small, moving lump. "Roland?" he mutters. "You okay?"

"H-Henry?"

At the pitiful whimper of his name, Henry is up and out of bed, clicking on the small lap before he kneels next to the younger boy. "Hey, c'mere, buddy. What's wrong?"

"M-Monsters," he whispers, shuffling closer to Henry's side. "They under my bed."

Henry tries to pull him into a hug, but Roland resists. Henry notices the fiercely red cheeks. "Did the monsters scare you into going potty?" When Roland nods shamefully, he hugs the boy again. "It's okay, Roland. You stay here and I'll go get you some clean stuff to wear. My room is officially free of monsters. You can sleep with me tonight, okay?"

Roland's eyes go wide and he nods eagerly. Henry quickly goes to the boy's room to get new underpants and pajamas, as well as the stuffed monkey from Regina, then heads back to his own room. He grins when he walks in, noticing that Roland has pulled a pillow down to curl up with.

"Hey, buddy, I'm back. I scared the monsters away for you. Let's get you changed, okay? Do you still need the potty?"

"No, Henry, thank you!" 

Roland takes the clean clothes and towel from Henry, grinning with the older boy turns to give him privacy to get dressed. While he does this, Henry grabs his phone to text his mother about what happened, but realizes his battery's dead. He plugs in his phone, then turns to smile at Roland.

"How about we make a blanket fort to sleep in tonight? Just you and me. And tomorrow, I'll teach you how to scare away the monsters so you can sleep, okay? My mom taught me how to do it for clowns when I was your age."

"You don't likes clowns?"

"Not really, no, but I know how to keep them from scaring me in my dreams."

~~*~~

Robin goes to wake Roland as Regina heads further down the hall to do the same for Henry. She grins as she steps into his room, just as she hears Robin call worriedly for the younger boy. "Robin," she says softly, not wanting to wake the boys. "Love, he's in here with Henry."

"Thank god," Robin replies as he joins her. "It looks like Roland wet the bed again last night."

Regina points to the fort. "If I'm not mistaken, that should start to taper off. Henry's teaching Roland the tricks I taught him at the same age about bad dreams." She closes the door as they back out of the room. "Come on, Robin, we'll let them sleep in and get breakfast started. You know the smell of bacon will get them both up and moving fast enough."

~~*~~

When the boys come downstairs an hour later to eat, Roland looks nervous, but Henry whispers in his ear before the boy comes to stand in front of the adults. "Me sorry, Papa and Mama Gina."

Regina kneels down to meet his shy gaze. "Did you have an accident?" She smiles as Roland nods. "And Henry helped you clean up and get back to sleep?"

"Uh-huh!" He leans in to whisper, "He taught me the secret."

"I'm glad. It's a powerful secret, isn't it?"

Roland nods happily. "And he said he can talk to the mean boys at school that call me a baby."

Regina glances up at Henry curiously at that.

"Some of the older boys seem to be bullying him a little bit, so I thought I could have a little chat with them tomorrow before school. I promise I'll just talk to them, but I can be kind of persuasive. I learned from the best, after all."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 20\. Roland spills something over himself in Regina’s vault and now any time he lies he turns further into a donkey (like in Pinocchio).
> 
> 36\. Robin spills a drink on Regina.

Regina lets out a shriek as ice and whiskey splash across her face and chest, soaking into the thin material of her top. Less than thirty second later, she is tumbling backward into the couch, Robin's weight pressing her down until she can't breathe.

"Roland!" Robin yells as he leans back, trying to help Regina sit up. The boy slinks into the den, a guilty look on his face. Robin doesn't even _need_ to ask the question, but he does anyway, lowering the volume of his voice. "Why are your toys in the middle of the floor?"

"Me not know, Papa," comes the soft response. Before Robin can say another word, the boy lets out a soft cry as his ears become long and furry like a donkey's. "P-Papa?"

"Roland?" Robin asks as he and Regina sit up to stare at him. "Son, what's going on?"

When Roland replies with the same answer, he sprouts a donkey's tail. Regina's eyes narrow. "Roland, have you been playing with my things in the vault?" Roland shakes his head, hands turning into hooves, and starts to cry harder. "Roland…"

"M-Me sorry!" he sobs, running to snuggle against her chest, ignoring the wet, cold material. "It was an accident!"

Robin opens his mouth to scold the boy, but Regina shakes her head, holding Roland close. "All right, Roland, you need to calm down and tell me what you were playing with. Once I know, I can fix this for you. But you will be punished for disobeying and for lying. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, Mama Gina."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 107\. Robin and Roland miss Regina and video call her.
> 
> 139\. Regina and Roland use magic mirrors as walkie talkies

"Gina?"

Regina looks up at that soft call. There, in the mirror before her, are the faces of two of the three men she treasures most in her life. "Roland! Is it time for our chat already?"

"Yes!" he says with a bright, dimpled grin that soon fades to melancholy. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too, Roland. And I miss your papa and Henry. But my help was needed here and I am working as fast as I can to get home to you all."

Robin smiles at that. "Aye, I told him that, but he was adamant that he tell you anyway." At Regina's soft smile and nod, he continues. "Are things going well?"

She shrugs then. "As can be expected. I'm hoping to be no more than a week at most. We are making some headway, but there are avenues of magic that I must still explore before we can full eradicate the issue at hand." She pauses, looking down for a moment, and there are tears in her eyes when she meets their gazes again. "I miss you both so very much, Henry, too. Every day that I am here, I feel as if I'll never be reunited with you, that I'll be alone forever."

"No, Gina! Henry said we gotta believe and you'll come home. So I believe for both of us!"

"The lad's right, milady," Robin says with a smile, all the love he has for her burning in his eyes. "We all believe and we will continue to do so until you are returned to us, safe and sound."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 94\. Family vacation/road trip
> 
> 108\. Regina takes Robin and Roland to the beach for the very first time.
> 
> 146\. Regina is bad at camping but then saves Roland from bears.

"This is crazy! We can't do this, Regina."

She laughs at Robin's stubbornness, but Henry speaks before she can. "Sure, we can! You're the expert camper, so you and Roland can take care of that part. Mom can drive and she can plan with the best of them. And I'll keep a journal of our adventures, pictures and all. It'll be fun." He grins mischievously. "Unless you're too chicken to do it."

Robin stares at him, dumbfounded, then looks to Regina for support… only to see the same expression on her face. "The two of you have never looked more related than you do right now. You are devious."

Regina blinks placidly at him, glancing briefly at Henry. "Does that mean I can plan our vacation then?"

"Regina, you _hate_ camping. You've told me that."

~~*~~

"This is a horrible idea," Regina mutters, rolling over on the mattress pad for the millionth time since going to bed last night. She might as well be sleeping on a bed of nails. That might be more comfortable. She hears Robin snicker softly from his pallet next to hers, snapping, "Shut up!"

Before Robin has the chance to reply, a shrill scream rips through the air. Both of them are on their feet, instantly racing out of the tent. Henry stands next to their tent, arms full of firewood, as he stares across the camp. There in front of them, not forty feet away, crouches Roland with a container full of berries, a pair of bear cubs to either side of him, and a pissed off mama bear towering over them. While Robin fumbles to get his bow, Regina steps forward slowly.

Roland looks back at her and whimpers, "Gina!"

"Shh, it's okay, Roland," she says softly, eyes never leaving the bear. "I need you to stay very still for me right now. Can you do that for me, handsome?"

Roland nods and freezes in place as Regina walks up to him, palms out and open toward the bear and her cubs. Her magic gently pushes the cubs away from the boy and toward their mother, which helps to placate the large bear. Another nudge of magic turns them around and leads them away from the camp, deeper into the forest and away from them. As soon as they're out of sight, Roland scrambles over to wrap himself around Regina's leg, sobbing hysterically. She scoops him up in her arms and gently shushes him.

"Roland? Regina?"

"We're fine, Robin," she says softly, not letting go of the boy in the slightest. "But I think it's time for us to cut this trip short."

"N-No," Roland wails, face still buried in the side of her neck. "Y-You promised the beach."

"Regina's right, Roland," Robin says, setting a gentle hand on his son's back. "You've had quite a fright."

"Actually, we can still go to the beach. We'll just go to a different beach. Is that okay, handsome?" Roland nods and sniffles. "All right. I need you to be a big boy and help us break down camp. Once that's done, I'll take you to the beach."

~~*~~

Regina and Robin watch Henry and Roland running through the surf, their laughter carrying on the breeze. She snuggles into Robin's embrace and smiles when he kisses her temple.

"To look at him now, you'd have no idea he was terrorized by a she-bear barely three hours ago."

"I'm not surprised," Regina replies softly. "We all stayed calm, which helped him to keep from getting overly upset and possibly hurt."

"Do you think he'll be afraid of bears now?"

"Possibly, but we'll deal with that if we need to."

"Gina! Papa! Come play!"

Neither can resist the bright smile on the boy's face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 134\. Regina having a hard time on Roland’s first day of school.
> 
> 140\. Robin is called to the principal’s office after Roland gets in a fight with a kid who said mean things about Regina.
> 
> 143\. Robin has to sub in for Regina at a Parent Teachers Association meeting for school.
> 
> 145\. Henry protects Roland from bullies.
> 
> 170\. Henry and Roland have their first fight.

"Mom, it'll be fine," Henry says with a knowing grin. "It's just the morning for kindergarten and then he'll come spend the rest of the afternoon with you. Just like I did."

Regina shoots him a dark look. "You know, you're entirely too smug when you think you're right. You take after your mother and grandmother too much."

He is entirely unfazed by her comment. "I learned that from you, not them."

She goes to say something, but is stopped by the happy nonsense song of her younger son. He steps into the kitchen with a bright smile and sets his backpack down. "Mama Gina! It's school day!"

Regina takes a deep breath and smiles for the boy, not wanting him to see how upset she is. "Yes, it is. And what would you like for breakfast today?"

"Bacon and peanut butter toast!"

Having already expected this, she pulls a plate out of the warming drawer of her oven and sets it out for him on the island. "Then you better come and eat up before it gets cold."

~~*~~

Less than an hour until Roland's first day of school will be over, Regina glances at her phone, bored by the meeting in progress, and sees a text from Robin of 9-1-1. She quickly excuses herself from the meeting to call him. "Robin? What's wrong?"

"Roland's gotten in trouble. The principal tried to call you, but you didn't answer, so he called me."

"Do you need me to go with you?" she asks, eager to leave the meeting.

"Would you mind? I'm not sure how to handle this."

~~*~~

"What do you mean our sons got into a fight?"

Robin wants to say something, but allows Regina handle this instead. This is far more her arena than his. His eyes move back and forth between the principal and the two boys sitting on the couch to his left.

"We have a strict zero tolerance policy regarding fighting, Madam Mayor," the principal says. Robin knows he should know the man's fairytale persona, but can't place him. "I'm going to have to insist on a three day suspension for both boys."

That gets Robin's attention. "Roland is five years old and it's his first day of school!"

Regina starts to add her own argument when Roland sniffles loudly and buries his face in Henry's side. The fire dies in her eyes as she moves to kneel in front of the boys. "Roland, handsome, can you tell us what happened?"

Roland shakes his head, clinging to Henry even more. When Regina looks at him, still upset by his scraped knuckles and Roland's split lip, he rubs the boy's back and says, "There were some older kids who were saying some awful things about you. I tried to shut them down, but Roland barged right in and kicked one of them in the shin. When Roland got backhanded and knocked down, I stepped in and punched the idiot in the mouth. He deserved it."

Regina blinks at his explanation, then rubs Roland's arm. "Roland, is this true?" When the boy nods, she turns to glare at the principal again. "And where is this other boy that was involved? Or any of his friends?"

The principal visibly flinches. "They've been sent home already. Because they've had incidents like this before, they have a full week's suspension."

"I'll take the three days, Mom," Henry says softly. "I punched that idiot, so I deserve it. But Roland's just a little boy and he was defending your honor. He doesn't deserve a suspension."

~~*~~

"You owe me, Regina," Robin says later that night after dinner. They can hear the boys in the kitchen, good-naturedly teasing each other as they clean up the dishes. "Not only did I have to agree to teach an archery class for the older students, I had to attend _your_ PTA meeting and deal with Snow's suffocating concern about the boys."

Regina grins slightly, making sure it looks remorseful for him. "I know, and I appreciate that. But I had to go back and finish my meeting that was interrupted. As for Snow, next time just start talking about me bringing apple pies to all of the meetings and bake sales. It _should_ shut her up pretty quickly."

Robin laughs at that, leaning in to kiss her. "You are a devious woman, Regina Mills, but you still owe me for today."

"I plan on making up for it later, once the boys are in bed." She waggles her brows at him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 118\. Roland finds two kittens, they love Regina the most.
> 
> 186\. Hood Mills family getting their first pet

"Mama Gina?"

Regina glances up to see him standing on the other side of the screened back door, holding a box that's almost too big for him. "What do you have there, handsome?" she asks as she moves to the door. Just as she touches the handle, she hears the pitiful little sounds. "Roland?"

"I finded them in this box by the corner. We keep them?"

Regina steps out onto the deck to study the box. The flaps all have "free" written in large letters. Looking inside, she sees two tiny kittens huddled together against the side touching Roland's chest, one black as night, the other a mostly orange calico. They mewl and shiver. Roland's eyes are wide with the love of a child for an animal, and she remembers her own childhood with the barn cats and Daddy's hunting hound.

"Kittens are a lot of work, Roland."

He turns those wide, innocent eyes on her, and she knows she's a goner. She also knows that Henry and Robin won't have nearly as many objections as she'd try to raise herself. "I take care of them. Please, Mama Gina? I don't need a birfday present."

~~*~~

Within three days, the kittens are full-fledged members of the Mills-Hood family. They get a visit to the vet for shots and a checkup confirming they're both girls. The boys fight over their names, but they finally agree to name the black cat Widow, after Black Widow, and the calico Pepper, after Pepper Potts, after Regina mentions the options. Henry wants to use the full names, but Roland insists on the nicknames, even going so far as to say Widow _should_ be Blacky. By the end of the week, Widow goes by a variety of nicknames, depending on their moods but Robin is the only one to use her given name, a reference to Regina when he dies from being used as a cat tree by both kittens. Or smothered by them in his sleep when they curl up next to her head on her pillow. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 164\. Roland tells Regina that he is scared that someone will take his papa away.
> 
> 165\. Roland asks Regina to be his mother for “Bring Your Mom To School Day”
> 
> 166\. Regina enchants Roland’s birthday cake so whatever he wishes for comes true.

When Roland's sixth birthday comes around, Regina decides to go all out on his party, wanting to make up for missing the first five. She plans a big party for him and lets him invite all of his friends from school. They go out to the stables for the party, thanks to Roland's new obsession with ponies. It's hard on Regina to be at the stables, but Robin and the boys do their best to help her through the worst of the memories.

The day before his party, Roland comes home from school, dragging his feet. Regina watches him closely as he pushes the apple slices around on the plate instead of happily munching on his favorite snack.

"Roland? Handsome, is something wrong?"

He nods and looks at her with tears glistening in his eyes. Without thought, Regina scoops him up in her arms and holds him close. "What is it? Can you tell Mama Gina?"

He digs in his pocket to pull out a badly folded piece of paper. "This."

She shifts to balance him on her hip as she opens and reads it. "This says your class is having a 'Bring Your Mom to School' day next week." At his miserable nod, she kisses his forehead. "Why does that make you sad? Is it because your mama's in heaven?"

Roland shakes his head and leans up to whisper in Regina's ear, "Will someone take Papa to heaven like they did Mama? I don't wanna lose him."

Tears fill Regina's eyes at his admission and she hugs him tightly to her. "Oh no, handsome, there's nothing to be afraid of like that. Papa is safe and Mama Gina and Henry, too."

"You sure?"

"I'm positive, but if it makes you feel better, we can make a special good luck charm for Papa to carry, okay?"

Roland nods and sniffles, but smiles anyway. "Thank you, Mama Gina. Um, will you come to the day with me? You're my mama now, right?"

"Yes, I am, and I would love to come. We'll make a special day of it. How's that sound?"

"Thank you, Mama Gina."

~~*~~

The next afternoon, the party goes off without a hitch. All of the kids from Roland's class love being able to ride the ponies. When it comes time for the birthday cake, Regina pulls out a special, magically imbued green and white six candle and lights it before setting the cake in front of Roland.

When the singing ends, Robin smiles and says, "Make a wish and blow out the candle, my boy."

Roland scrunches up his face as he thinks, then smiles and takes a big breath to blow it out. The flame barely goes out when Robin moans softly and rubs his chest over his heart. Regina glances over curiously, but he just shrugs and shakes his head. Once all of the kids have their cake and ice cream to eat, Robin pulls Regina aside.

"Are you okay, Robin?" she asks softly.

"I'm not sure. Will you check to see if anything bit me before? My chest feels a little tender."

She carefully unbuttons and pulls aside his shirt, then gasps. In the space over his heart where he'd been rubbing, she sees a green heart with "R+H+R" in the middle in Roland's distinctive scrawl. She blinks twice, then starts to laugh softly. "Oh no. Oh, Robin, I'm sorry, but I’m not sorry?"

He glances down to see the mark and frowns in confusion. "I don't understand?"

She quickly explains her conversation with Roland from the day before, as well as what she'd done with the candle on the cake. "I honestly didn't think he'd make that protection charm his wish. I thought it would be a toy or candy or more ice cream."

"But he chose to protect me instead."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> 32\. It’s Regina’s first bday after Henry is gone and she feels lonely. The doorbell rings and a little Roland is waiting there with a half-eaten cupcake for her (ofc he says it wasn’t him, but the icing on his cheeks says it all).
> 
> 86\. Roland and Henry prepare a surprise birthday party for Regina.

Regina looks around the house, feeling lonely. Henry's off to college in New York and couldn't get home on a weekday for her birthday, not with finals so close. It's her first birthday without him around, and she's feeling old and lonely. Robin is working the night shift at the station, and Roland is spending the night with friends. She only has herself to blame, having told them she didn't want anyone to make a fuss over her.

The knock at the door startles her. When she opens it, she sees Roland standing there, a half-eaten red velvet cupcake with purple frosting in his hand. The missing frosting is smeared across his beaming face.

"Happy birthday, Mama Gina!" he says brightly, and she still can't believe he's almost ten.

She doesn't want to contemplate how old that makes her, so she smiles at him and takes the food. "Why thank you, handsome. Why aren't you at your friend's house?"

"I wanted to bring your present."

"Thank you for the cupca--"

"No, silly," he says with a giggle. "That's not your present. Close your eyes."

Humoring him, she does as he asks. He giggles again, then she feels a pair of lips on her cheek. She may be vertically challenged, but Roland is not yet tall enough to kiss her cheek, and those lips don't have the appropriate scruff around them to be her husband.

"Happy birthday, Mom."

Regina's eyes fly open to stare at her son in surprise. "Henry! What are you doing here?"

He grins and hugs her gently. "Did you honestly think after eighteen years that I'd miss your birthday?"

"No, I-I don't understand."

"Let us in and I'll explain. Robin's coming with your cake."

They move into the kitchen out of habit and the boys settle on stools at the island. Roland looks utterly pleased with himself, not even complaining when Regina wipes his face. "I helped Henry surprise you."

"Yes, you did. Thank you both for this lovely gift."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:   
> 100\. Roland loses Robin’s bow
> 
> 142\. Roland opens a lemonade stand.

Roland comes tearing into the house, wide-eyed, and attaches himself to Regina's leg as she's washing up the lunch dishes. "Mama Gina, hide me!"

She chuckles at his actions until she sees the look on his face. "Roland, what happened?"

Before he can respond, they hear Robin's voice from the backyard. "Roland? Where are you?"

"What did you do, Roland?" she asks him as he hides behind her. She glances up as Robin comes in and stops in front of her.

"Roland, you need to tell me where it is."

"It--" Roland starts to speak, but bursts into tears. "In the water. It floats away."

It takes several minutes to get the whole story out of the boy in between bouts of nearly hysterical sobbing, but they learn that Roland had been playing Avengers with some of his school friends by the docks and borrowed his papa's bow to be Hawkeye. At one point, he tripped and the bow went flying out into the water, washed away on the tide.

"Roland! You know better than to take things without permission," Robin replies, torn between anger and pride over his son's choice of superhero. "It's going to take some time for me to replace it."

Roland digs into his pocket and puts a handful of coins in Robin's hand. "You can has my pocket monies, Papa. That help?"

That does get Robin to smile. "It does, but you need your pocket money. Tomorrow we will make you a lemonade stand. It's supposed to be very warm and I bet people down by the docks will like some cold, fresh lemonade. You can earn some money to help replace my bow."

"You mean it, Papa? I can help?"

"You can help pay for the materials for me to make it."

"And Mama Gina will help by making the lemonade," Regina replies with a smile. "It'll be a family stand."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:   
> 89\. Just like she did with Henry when he was younger, Regina shows Roland how to garden and he insists in having his own plant to take care of.

It begins innocently enough with Roland trampling through her flowerbed while playing. Rather than reprimand him, Regina decides to use it as a learning experience. When the weekend rolls around, she and Roland put on older clothes that won't matter if they get stained and head out into the backyard. Armed with gardening tools, seeds, seedlings, and bags of soil, they work to replace the damaged flowers, then move on to start preparing the garden for the food they'll grow later in the season. Roland takes to gardening even better than Henry ever did, not complaining once as they while the whole of their Saturday covered in streaks of brown and green. 

As Regina supervises Roland's bath that night, he politely asks if she will let him plant something in the garden all his own. She agrees and asks what he wants to grow, then laughs softly when he says an apple plant. She explains that apples grow on trees, but promises to see if there's a sapling they can plant to grow with him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:   
> 103\. Roland wants to be the evil queen for Halloween

"No, Regina," Robin says firmly that night as they get into bed. "I won't allow it."

She rolls her eyes and chuckles. "It's one night, Robin. And I should think that you'd find it flattering."

He stares at her in confusion. "How on earth is this flattering for me? My son wants to be a villain for Halloween."

"Well, for one thing, that's kind of the point of Halloween. For another, he said he wants to go as his favorite _former_ villain."

"But _I'm_ not a villain, Regina, former or otherwise."

She leans across the bed to kiss him sweetly, stroking his cheek. "No, you're not, but you are the one who made a former villain fall madly in love with you and choose to remain on the path to redemption. You don't think that's something to be flattered by?"

Robin blinks at her a couple of times, then chuckles. "I suppose when you put it that way…" He pulls her into his lap. "And what costume will you be putting him in?"

"Something tasteful, I promise."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:   
> 113\. Regina and Robin take Roland for ice cream for the first time (Roland being introduced to her). Leading to the scene we saw of them walking hand in hand, on the way to grannies.

"Roland, do you remember when you asked me why your mama's not with us anymore?"

"Yes, Papa. You said she's in heaven."

"Yes, I did. And do you remember asking me if I was lonely without Mama?"

"Uh-huh! You said that I made you not lonely because you loved me."

Robin nods slowly and glances up to see where Regina is. "I wanted to tell you that I have met a nice lady here that also makes me not lonely. I really like her and I want you to meet her, is that okay?" When Roland nods, Robin smiles and realizes that Regina is walking toward them, a hesitant smile on her face.

Regina kneels down in front of Roland, matching Robin's pose, and holds out her hand. "Hello, Roland. My name is Regina. I would like it very much if we could be friends."

Roland studies her face for a long moment, tilting his head to the side, then he grins and shakes her hand. "Hi, Gina."

"Son, she said her name is Regina."

Roland shakes his head. "No, she's Gina." He flashes a shy, dimpled grin at her. "Is that okay?"

Regina feels her heart melt at his adorable antics. "Yes, Roland, that's okay, but only you can call me that. It'll be our special thing, just the two of us."

"Okay, Gina! Papa, we get ice cream now? And can Gina come with us?"


End file.
